28 June 2017

A year after several resorts on the French Riviera made global headlines and prompted criticism from around the world for imposing burkini bans on Muslim bathers, a French mayor risks inflaming the row once again.

Gerard Tardy, the mayor of Lorette, a town to the south of Lyon in Central France, has imposed a ban on burkinis – the full-body swimwear worn by some Muslim women and the wearing of headscarves at a new outdoor swimming area.

The leisure park was opened on June 23rd and includes two man-made swimming areas and a beach the public must pay to access.

But the new rules laid down in a Town Hall decree have sparked controversy.

Article 4 of the decree says users must “have decent attire and a correct attitude.”

It also includes the line: “On the beach monokinis, burkinis, veils that partially or totally conceal the face are banned.” [The Local] Read more